DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING MATHEMATICS 1

Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction (TIOC)

Based on what was read on the articles, millions of students sitting in math classes

wonder why they have to study numbers and equations, and they do not perform well in

mathematic. They cannot multiply or divide; perhaps they do not understand the

connection. Because the students are not listening during discussions, that’s why they

find math subject difficult. Some have difficulty in representing mathematic concepts

mentally and they have difficulty in keeping information in their working memory. Based

on what was read the nation of opportunities to learn in mathematics educations in open

to interpretation from multiple theoritical perspectives, where the focus may be on

cognitive, social or affective dimensions learning, curriculum and assesment design, issue

of equity and access, or the broad policy and political contexts of learning and teaching.

It can inspire students to learn even more about math. They can learn that everything

follows an organized mathematical formula of some sort it can also help students see just

how useful and important the field of mathematics is and it can equipt the students with

additional strategies that may help them solved certain math problems

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Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to find out the possible cause of difficulties of students in

learning mathematics. This further determined the preoccupation of the offenders more

specifically it sought to answer the following.

1. What are the reasons why students have difficulties in learning math?

2. What are the experiences encountered of students?

Significance of the Study

The study has valuable importance in analyzing the reasons of students why they

have difficulties in learning mathematics. The data that were gathered will benefit the

following significant person involved:

Administrators. The data gathered from this study will help the administrator to

be aware on the different reasons why students have difficulties in learning mathematics..

Teachers. The study will give the teachers information on how they can help in

dealing with the different reasons why students have difficulties in learning mathematics.

It is hoped that teachers will be able to help reduce the difficulties of students.

Learners. The study will give the pupils the encouragement to voice out their

experiences and ideas about their difficulties in learning math. The learning’s that they

have gained could help them to overcome this kind of situation.

Future Researcher.This study will help the future researcher to have knowledge

about the reasons why students have difficulties in leaning math. It will help them to

think of better ideas to improve the interventions of students.

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Scope and Delimitation

This study focused on the ten (10) grade 8 students of San Isidro High School

(Bacolor). The participants are those who have been reported to have difficulties in

learning mathematics during the S.Y. 2018-2019.

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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The past fifteen years have shown a resurgence of interest in small group, peer-directed in
the classrooms. The article read reviews and analyzes the research linking task related
verbal interaction to learning in small groups in mathematics classrooms, as well as
factors that have been shown to predict interaction in mathematics group, and discusses
strategies for shaping group interaction. Critical features of group interaction include the
level of elaboration of help given and received and the responsiveness of help of the
needs of students. Possible strategies for promoting effective small-group include certain
group compositions, altering the reward structure, providing training in desirable verbal
behavior, and instructing the group activity to require students to give explanation to each
other. The teacher is available to help but typically does no direct the interaction among
students working together. School districts and even state departments of education have
started to mandate or use cooperative learning methods on a large scale. For example, the
article titled, “Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten
through Grade Twelve, The California State Department of Education” (1985) has
mandated the use of cooperative learning foster active student participation and learning.
The purpose of the said paper, then, is to bring together the research that has
systematically examined the relationship between interaction among students working
together in small groups and mathematics achievement. It focuses on task related verbal
interaction that occurs among students as they work in small groups. It is largely
concerned with different kinds of content related helping behavior exhibited in groups.
The aim of this study is to examine the mathematics skills of fourth-grade children from
Kosovo in relation to their background characteristics. Seventy-six children, out of 233
tested, who were identified with learning difficulties in mathematics were further
assessed during fifth and sixth grades, in mathematics skills and reading comprehension.
The findings showed that there were no gender differences in mathematics achievement,
whereas children's urban or rural locations as well as their socio-economic status were
observed to have a substantial impact on mathematics performance of children in the
main sample, but not for those in the subsample. For children with learning difficulties in
mathematics, the initial level of reading skills was a powerful determinant of their later
mathematics performance and the initial level of mathematics skills was also similarly
predictive of reading comprehension. The children's background characteristics did not
add explanatory variance in performance outcomes over their previous mathematics and
reading skills learned during the first years of primary school. The high association
between mathematics performance and reading comprehension suggests that mathematics
and reading problems may result from a similar cognitive background.Children who
struggle in mathematics have a limited understanding of the foundational processes of
mathematics. A lack of conceptual understanding causes students to fall behind as they
progress through the core curriculum. Children at high risk for developing mathematics
disabilities fail to gain numeracy knowledge. The purpose of this case study was to

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investigate the effects of an explicit mathematics intervention using concrete-

representational-abstract sequence to teach students to count in flexible ways and use skip
counting as a strategy for multiplication for students with mathematics difficulties.
Students were able to learn skip counting and improved in their multiplication abilities.
Implications are also discussed. Mathematics holds a relevant and unique place in the
school curriculum as it is important for a better living of the individual. But, it is known
that most of the students are considering mathematics as difficult. This study examines
the difficulties perceived by high school students and teachers in learning and teaching
mathematics. Two hundred 9th standard students and fourteen mathematics teachers
participated in the survey. The questionnaires on perception of students and teachers,
comprises closed as well as open ended items. The study incorporated cognitive, affective
and environmental reasons that contribute to the difficulty in learning mathematics. The
factors that make mathematics difficult for students to learn included difficulty in
remembering the content learned in the previous classes, rapid forgetting of the learned
material and the difficulty in understanding mathematics concepts. Further analysis
revealed that students who feel mathematics highly difficult tends to believe that they
lacks in learning strategies. Such students have lack of self efficacy and feel more
difficulty in understanding mathematics. Students who feel Mathematics as highly
difficult tends to forget it faster. Conversely students who feel mathematics as fairly easy
reports their teachers teaching them well and understanding the concepts quickly. It was
noted that the students who feel Mathematics as highly difficult tends to leave the task
with little effort than those who feel the subject easy. According to teachers, students' lack
of effort and prerequisites are the major reasons for mathematics being a difficult subject
for students. Reluctance to seek help from others, inattention in the classroom and
students' lack of motivation were also perceived to contribute toward difficulty in
learning mathematics. Teachers reported also that, lack of relevant prerequisites,
difficulty in speedy grasping of the concepts and more number of students in a classroom
are causing difficulty in teaching mathematics. The findings indicate the need for teachers
to realize the importance of making school mathematics interesting for students to take
effort in learning it. The result is discussed in relation to students' beliefs and study
strategies. The performance of a group of grade 9 mathematics students trained to use a
self-explanation procedure during study of a new theorem in geometry was compared
with that of students who used their usual study procedures. The processing activities
used by the students during the study session and those used in a subsequent problem-
solving test were observed. The focus of analysis on both occasions was on the
knowledge access, knowledge generation, management and elaboration activities used by
students. The self-explanation group showed more frequent use of each type of activity
and also obtained higher scores on the problem-solving test. The difference in post-test
performance of the groups was greatest on a set of far-transfer items. These items
required the students to extend their use of the newly learned theorem to problem types
that were substantially different from those presented in the original study material. Of
particular note was the carryover effect of self-explanation training to students'
processing in the subsequent problem-solving session. The relationships among the
processing activities, students' beliefs, prior knowledge and post-test performance were

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examined using a partial least-squares path analysis procedure. Use of the self-
explanation method had an indirect effect on performance, this effect being mediated by
associated knowledge access and knowledge generation activity. There was no direct
effect of method on performance. The strongest predictor of performance was the level of
knowledge generation activity during which students showed evidence of making novel
connections, either within the newly presented study material or between parts of that
material and their existing geometry knowledge. In the final path model derived from the
analysis of student performance, the students' prior knowledge measure had both a weak
direct on their problem-solving performance and an effect on that performance that was
mediated by relationships with the knowledge access and knowledge generation variables
in the model. The main aim of the study reported in this paper was to identify Italian high
school students' ( n =599) beliefs about maths and mathematical problem solving by
exploring the use of a 36-item (six scales) self-report questionnaire. The study was also
aimed at analysing possible significant differences in beliefs related to grade (five years
of school) and gender, as well as the relationship between beliefs and achievement in
maths. Moreover, it explored the reasons underlying mature and nai¨ve beliefs about the
different dimensions measured by the questionnaire. Results show a substantial
replication of the instrument with the exception of one scale (importance of word
problems) which was not reliable. A MANOVA revealed differences for three scales
(ability to solve time consuming problems; problems which cannot solved by routine
procedures; the usefulness of mathematics) related to grade and a difference for one scale
related to gender (importance of understanding maths). It also emerged that the four
scales mentioned predicted achievement in maths to different extents. Data regarding the
reasons underlying students' beliefs show how their convictions are adaptive or
maladaptive to learning. Finally, educational implications are drawn.

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CHAPTER 3

METHOD

This chapter presents the research design, participants of the study, instrument,

data generation, data gathering procedure and data analysis which shall be utilize in this

study.

Research Design

A qualitative research method, utilizing phenomenology was applied to

investigate the experiences of grade 8 students in dealing with their difficulties in

learning mathematics. Qualitative research seeks to provide understanding of human

experience, perceptions, motivation, intention and behaviors based on the description and

observation in utilizing a naturalistic interpretative approach to a subject and its

contextual setting (Encyclopedia.com, 2009). Furthermore, this gives an in-depth

understanding of the social world of the participants by learning about their social and

material circumstances which include their experiences, perspective and histories (Ritchie

& Lewis 2003).

The phenomenological approach, on the other hand is based on the paradigm of

personal knowledge and subjectivity, and emphasizes the significance of personal

perspective and interpretation. It is powerful for understanding the experience, gaining

insights into people’s motivations and actions, and cutting through the clutter of taken-

for-granted assumptions and conventional wisdom (Lester, 1999). Ary, Jacobs and

Resavich (cited in Rivera, 2011) articulated that: it is a philosophy of research that

focuses on understanding the meaning events have for people in particular situations.

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Phenomenology is design to gain an understanding how participants experience and give

meaning to an event concept or phenomenon.

Participants

According to Merriam (2002), the group of participants in qualitative research is

usually small, non-random and purposeful. A specific sample is selected to provide or

yield the most information about a phenomenon of interest. The sampling for this study

will be purposive. Creswell and Plano Clark (2007) wrote that in purposeful sampling,

the researcher intentionally select participants who have experience with the central

phenomenon or the key concept being studied. Thus, this study will focus on the ten

grade 8 students that were selected by the researcher based on the criteria: (1) Students

who gets low grades in mathematics on the first and second quarter of SY: 2018-2019.

(2) Students who gained a grade equal or lower than 76 in mathematics science for the

first and second quarter of SY 2018-2019. Table 1 shows the participants in this study.

Table1

Frequency and Percentage of the Participants

Sections Key Point Frequency Percentage

8-Bonifacio
8-Jacinto
8-Del Pilar
Total 10 100%

Hoffman and Riem (cited in Usman, 2011, p.4) held forth that “a sample is selected on

purpose to gather the most information about the phenomenon or field of interest under

study.” The researchers believe that ten participants will be adequate to provide the

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necessary data since Boyd (cited in Groewald, 2004) regards 2 to 10 participants or

research subjects as sufficient to reach saturation for a phenomenological study.

Instrument

The unstructured interview will be used as an instrument. The researchers will

look on one of the major qualitative instruments in this type of research, as they are a

large part of a progress. A question developed by the researchers will be asked before the

study began, as the aim of the qualitative research is to get a personal look at the subject,

or subject being studied.

Data Collection

The researchers will obtain the permission of the school head to conduct

interviews with the participants. The researchers will ask the class advisers to give the

data on the students who gained low grades in mathematics during the first two quarters

of the school year. In order to ensure ethical consideration, the researchers will ask the

consent of each participant and will inform them of the confidentiality of the study, the

responses will be secured.

The interviews will be scheduled at a given time and venue to be decided by the

participants. The deeper way interviews to a certain kind of conversation between the

researchers and the interviewee that requires active questioning and listening. The

interview will be used as a good way of accessing the participants experience on how

difficult it is to learn mathematics.

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Ethical Considerations

The researchers will observe ethical consideration during the entire research

period. Ethical rules observed are as follows: The researchers will explain about

confidentiality of the study; the researchers will respect the participants’ decisions and

views during the interview. Also, all the information will remain confidential throughout

the study. To ensure the confidentiality and to protect each participants, the interview will

be utilizing a voice recorder software application.

Data Analysis

Qualitative data analysis will be based on an interpretative data. The researchers

will use this process to make sense of or explain the data collected during the research

process. Richards (2009) upheld that suitable data analysis requires one to stay close to

his data and interpret it from a position of empathic understanding. It is imperative that

there should be a preliminary understanding of the meaning of the research data when the

data analysis stage was reached. Thus, during this stage, engagement and absorption of

all the material will be completed.

Data analysis in this study commenced with the researchers will carefully read the

transcribed data line by line. Data are to be divided into meaningful analytical units. Key

point coding will be used to apply key terms through the detailed examination of

passages of text. Codes to be assigned for key points were in the form of words or

phrases (Usman, 2011).

Coding involves going through the data for themes, ideas and categories and then

marking similar passages of text with a code label so that they can easily be retrieved at a

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later stage for comparison and analysis (Gibbs &Taylor, cited in Nicdao, 2015). Codes

with commonalities were grouped into concepts since they share certain qualities that

signify a pattern.

Themes or categories was formed from similar concepts. The constant

comparative method, which involves repeatedly comparing one unit of data with another

(Merriam, 2002), be used to create themes. De Santis and Ugarriza (cited in Saldaña,

2009) proposed that a theme is an intangible unit that brings meaning and identity to an

experience which is repeatedly manifested. The function of a theme is to categorize a set

of data into a subject that covers a group of repeating ideas (Auerbach& Silverstein,

2003).

To illustrate the flow in which this study was conceptualized, the emergent

themes or categories and their relationships were presented in a figure. In qualitative

research, categories are drawn diagrammatically to show their connections (Allan, cited

in Usman, 2011). Finally, conclusions and recommendations were developed based on

the findings.

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Figure 1 presents the data analysis process which shall be applied in this study.

Using key point The researchers

The researchers
coding the will group
will transcribe the
Gathering of researchers will codes with
data line by line
apply key terms commonalities
Data and then divide the
to each to form them
data into
analytical unit. into concepts.
meaningful
analytical units.

Illustration of the The researchers

data will be will create
Established the
presented by the categories from
Participants researchers by similar concepts.
presenting the
themes in a figure

The Concepts/Theories
Figure 1. Data Analysis Process

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